Herbert e



(No Model.)

H. E. RIDER & J. HENOKEN,

ELECTRIC LIGHTER.

Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

ANLIIIEW BJIRAMAM. PHGTGLTTNDWASNIRGTOM I E UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

llERl-lERT E. RIDER AND J ()HN HENOKEN, OF YEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO ROBERT XV. INMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 551 ,451 dated December 17, 1895.

Applicati fil d November 10, 18%. Serial No. 528,367. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern/.- Any suitable electriccurrent-generating o Be it known that we, HERBERT E. RIDER devices may be employed which would cause and JOHN HENCKEN, citizens of the United an electric current to flow through the-spark- States, and residents of the city and county forming devices of sucha character asto cause 5 of New York, State of New York, have inthe ignition of the torches.

vented certainnew and useful Improvements The details of the construction of the elec- 5 5 in Electric Lighters, of which the following tric batteries (1-, which may be of the ordiis a specification, reference being had to the nary dry-battery type, and of the spark-coil accompanyingdrawings,formingpart hereof. b are not herein particularly shown or de- This invention relates to devices for lightscribed, as such devices are well known. Suiting or igniting by means of an electric curable conducting-wires a are shown whereby 6o rent, and the apparatus hereinafterdescribed the electric current is led in series through embodying this invention is particularly dethe batteries and through the spark-forming .signed for use as a cigar-lighter. coil to the screws or binding-posts e c. From I 5 According to our'invention a torch com-. these binding-posts e e the electric current posed of orcontaining inflammable material is conveyed to the spark-forming devices in 6 5 or adapted to be made inflammable tempothe mannerto be hereinafter explained. The rarily or otherwise is arranged within a suitbinding-posts c e are shown as secured upon able receptacle, and a spark-forming device a vertically-arranged plate f, preferably of '20 is arranged in proximity to said receptacle so insulating material, and this plate f is shown as to be brought into action to ignite said as attached to a top plate g, and the recep- 7a torch by the withdrawal of the torch from tacles (Z (Z are shown as forming part of said the receptacle, and thus in the single and top plate g or maybe secured thereto or othsimple operation of removing the torch from erwise properly supported. These recep 2 5 its receptacle the torch will be ignited. tacles (Z (Z are shown as extending downward Our invention also includes certain imfrom the top plate g and closed at their lower 75 movements in the construction of torch and ends. Two of these receptacles are shown, of the spark-forming devices and of other and two torches are shown arranged to be parts, all of which will be hereinafter parheld Within these receptacles; but it is of ticularly described and claimed. course evident that any desired number of The accompanying drawings illustrate an torches or receptacles may be employed. so embodiment of our invention. As shown, the receptacles cl (1 are not de- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invensigned to act as reservoirs of inflammable mation, cut in section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, terial, although it is of course evident that and with the upper front portion of the casthis invention may be partly embodied in a ing removed to more clearly show the 0011- construction in which the receptacles consti- 85 struction. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the 6X- tute such reservoirs, and the reservoir for the treme upper part of the casing cut in section. inflammable material in the apparatus shown Fig. is an enlarged. detail perspective view embodying our entire invention is formed of one of the yielding spark-forming fingers. within and as part of the torch itself, and the In the embodiment of our invention herein torch comprises a hollow tube h, adapted to 0 shown suitable devices for generating the fit within a receptacle d and provided at its electric current, such as the electric batteries lower end with a flaring ring or enlargement a a, and a suitable device for intensifying or contact device h and open at its lower end 5 the electric current, such as the spark-coil b, for the emergence of a suitable wick 1 and are shown as arranged within a box or casing the torch at its upper part above the tube h 9 5 c, which box or casing also supports and inis of considerable larger dimensions, so as to closes the spark-forming devices and other form a reservoir j, which is shown as a hollow parts. shell contiguous with the tube 72 and which is thereby insuring the complete extinguishment of the torch and preventing evaporation of the inflammable fluid. The hollow reservoir j is shown as provided with a removable cap j at its upper end, which may be screwed or otherwise tightly fittedtherein andzmay be removed for renewing the chargeofinflammable material of the wick. The reservoir j l and its oap' j constitute the handle of thetorch, and are of suchrconfiguration that they may be grasped by theuserfor. the purpose of removing-thetorch from the receptacle and usingthe torch and returning-it tothe-recep tacle. The tube h, contact devieeh, and-reservoir j are shownasof one piece, .whielrmay beof a-suitable-electric conduetingimaterial';. but it is of course evident that these parts may be made up-of several separate piecesand that the contact device is theonly part that is necessarily an electric conductor; 'l his= contact device may therefore be aseparate ringof conductive material and may be-insu:--

lated from'the other parts of the torchor'the" other parts of the torch may be of insulating material; and various modifications may be made in the constructionof the torchzw-ith out: departing from our invention.

The spark-forming devices are shown asyielding fingers 71), arranged so'astoproject llllJO-SlOlZSfOlHlGdzEti) the mouths of the-receptacles, andiiir the'embodiment of our; entire invention these slots arecontinued into the top plate-g,-,so that the yielding-fingers-may rise above the surface of the top plate g; One

ofthe-yielding fingers is particularly shown in Fig. 3,- and as shown consists-of a-subs-tantially horizontal member or ar1n',,tl1e outer end of which constitutesthe spark-forming; point, andiot adownwardly-eXtending mem-- her or arm. and of a coiled portion at the pivotal point, whereby a considerable (legreeof flexibility isimparted to the finger. course evident that the constructionof thisfinger may be modified: without departingfrom" our invention. The yielding fingers 7c are shown as pivoted uponlpinsorscrewsprojeetingfrom the plate f, and to the down.-

wardly-extending arms ofthe fingers'arese cured. springs Z l, and the tension. of these springs Z Z tends to hold the yielding fingers-in:

the positions shown in=connection with the left-hand receptacle (1 of Fig. 1. Contact stopsm m or other suitable current terminals are secured to the plate f in such positions that It is of.

the lower members of the yielding fingers k are normally out of contact with said plates; but these plates are arranged in the paths of the lower members of the fingers, and the fingers are brought into contact with these plates by the operation of removing the torch from the receptacle, as will be hereinafter explained. The stops m are suitably connected to the source of electric current, and as shown the two plates of each spark-forming device are separately connected to the two binding-posts e and e, by wires e 6 As-willbe seen,.the yielding fingers 7care normally out of electric circuit and the cir cuit is normally broken. hen a torch is lifted upward in the operation of withdrawing it from a receptacle-d, thecontact-ring h of the torch comes in. contact with the yielding:- fingers Zr; k an d moves-these yielding. fingersaipward,.and thussbrings 'their lower ends into contact withzthe stops'mm respectively, and the-parts assume'the' position shown in connection with therightehantl receptacle in Figs. 1,. withthe electric current flowing through the yielding fingers an d: through the lower'end ot' thetorch and the yieldingtfingels are-lifted upwarct seas to be above the t'opplate'pl The continued upward move ment ofthe torch: will now causethccontact device 71- to be movedaway from: the yielding-fingers,- and thus the-current after havingibeenr caused: to flow through. a closed circuit will; be broken either at one or both points-of contact, and' this breaking of the current will: cause an electric spark which will ignite the wick z" of the torch.

Inthe construction shown embodying: our entire invention,.in.whicli the yieldingtfingers are moved upward aboverthetop plate g,- thiscontact-breaking: and: spark-forming. operation will takeplaccabove the mouthiof the receptacle, andtlius-there-will beno fear of smothering: orrextinguishin g1 the fiame i gnited by the electric spark. The torclibeingnowignitedlmay be used-for any desired purpose, and as is. evident: will: remain ignited for a considerable: period: of! time, so that it may be used for'igniting the gas or lampsin a" room on for other purposes, or'the torch may be usedifor the-purposeof lightin g. acigar and promptly returned: to its receptacle; The flameof: thetorch will be smothered or extinguished by returning it to its receptacle: During the operationofreturning-the torch to= the'rcceptacle the contact device it d'epressesthe yielding fingers sufficiently to pass-below the-fingers; but the only eif'ect: of this movement of the." fingersis to takethemfartheraway from thecontactstops :m-m, andthe fingers'are'brought back again'to -normal positi0ns as soon asthe contact: device 72 has-passed below andreleased them.

The operation of withdrawing. the torch from its receptacle and thereby igniting it,

IIO

and using it for any desired purpose, and returning it to its receptacle and thereby extinguishing it, may be repeated as often as desired, so long as the torch is supplied with inflammable material and the electric-current-generating devices produce a sufficient spark.

It will be noted that there .is no waste of electric current in the lighter embodying our invention, as the yielding fingers are normally out of contact with the terminals of the electric circuit; also that the apparatus is of simple and inexpensive construction, and positive and reliable in operation, and not liable to derangement.

It is evident that vario us modifications may be made in the construction above particularly described without departing from our invention; also that parts of our invention may be used separately or in combination with other parts of different construction. \Ve do not therefore limit ourselves to such particular construction; but

' What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a torch, of a receptacle for the same, and an electric spark forming device, said device being actuated by the withdrawal of the torch to form a spark, but being unaffected by restoring the torch.

2. The combination with a torch having a contact, of a receptacle for the same, and an electric spark forming device, said device being arranged so that the contact on the torch will actuate it to form a spark upon the withdrawal of the torch, but which upon restoring the torch will not be actuated to form a spark.

3. The combination with a torch having a contact, of a receptacle for the same, a moving spark forming device and a stop constituting the terminal of an electric circuit, the spark forming device being normally out of contact with said stop, so that upon withdrawing the torch the spark forming device is made to contact with the stop, but which upon restoring the torch to place will move away from the stop.

4. The combination with a torch containing a contact device, of a receptacle for the same, two yielding spark forming fingers, and two suitable contact stops forming terminals of an electric circuit, said yielding fingers being normally out of contact with said stops, and being arranged in the path of said contact device of the torch so that in the withdrawal of said torch from the receptacle said fingers are brought into contact with said stops and make and break contact with the contact device of the torch, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a torch containing a contact device, of a receptacle inclosing the same, a yielding spark forming device arranged at the mouth of said receptacle in the path of and arranged to be struck by the contact device of the torch, whereby on the withdrawal of said torch from the receptacle the spark forming device is caused to yield outwardly beyond said receptacle, and the spark will be formed outside of said receptacle; substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a torch containing a contact device, of a receptacle for the same, and two yielding spark forming fingers arranged at the mouth of said receptacle and in the path of said contact device of the torch so that in the withdrawal of said torch from the receptacle the spark forming ends of the fingers are caused to protrude beyond said receptacle, two contact stops forming terminals of an electric circuit, said fingers being normally out of contact with said stops, but arranged so as to be brought into contact with said stops by the removal of the torch from the receptacle, substantially as set forth.

7. The coi'nbina'tion with a torch containing a contact device, of two yielding spark form- 'being normally out of contact with said stops,

and said fingers being arranged so as to come in contact with the contact device of the torch and to be brought into contact with the stops by the movement of said torch and to break contact with said contact device on the further movement of the torch thereby igniting the torch, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a hollow torch containin g a reservoir in its upper part and a wick extending downward through the torch and emerging at the lower end of said torch, of a closed receptacle for the wick end of the torch, a contact device at the mouth of said torch, and spark forming fingers extending into said receptacle and arranged to make and break contact with said contact device and thereby ignite said torch, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with a torch containing a projecting contact device at the lower end thereof, of the receptacle (Z for said torch, and the plate g, said receptacle and plate having contiguous slots therein, spring fingers 0 eX tending into said receptacle through such slots, and means for conveying an electric current to said fingers, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with a torch containing a projecting contact device at the lower end thereof, of the receptacle d for said torch, and the plateg, said receptacle and plate having contiguous slots therein, the spring fingers extending into said receptacle through such slots, the springs Z 1, respectively connected to said fingers k, and the contact stops m m forming terminals of an electric circuit, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of atorch containing a reservoir in its upper part and a wick extending downward through the torch and emerging at the lower end of said torch and said torch having a projecting contact device at the lower end thereof, with the receptacle (1 for said torch and the plate g, said receptacle and plate having contiguous slots therein, the spring fingers 70 extending into said receptacle through such slots, the springs Z Z, respectively connected to said fingers-7o, and the contaet stops mm, forming terminals of an electric circuit, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 30th day of- O'ctober, 1894'.

HERBERT E. RIDER. JOHN HENCKEN. \Vitne'sses:

HENRY D. WILLIAMS, F. M. EGGLESTON. 

